Two of a Kind
by Jedi Annie Scrambler
Summary: Filling in the gaps that OUAT leaves, explaining what Belle and Will are up to. (No Romo)
1. Two of a Kind

"Belle! Belle! Are you working in the library today? Because if you need any help, I'm always free," Hook grinned down at the Librarian, "You know me, dashingly hansom and ready to lend a hand. But only one."

He held up his Hook and Belle gave him a little smile, "Thanks for the offer, Hook, but I'm working in the pawn shop today."

"Well, if you need any help, I'm your man!" the pirate said as Belle took her coffee from Granny and backed out the diner door.

"Thank you! I'll remember!" she called before letting the door shut.

"Hey is that guy bothering you? Because I can totally take him, and I have before, in a fight. He's a real arse," an accented voice said behind her.

Belle turned to see- "Passed out guy? You broke into my library!"

"Oh... that was your library? So sorry, nothing personal. I just had a book I needed. And it couldn't wait?" he stuck out a hand, "Name's Will Scarlett, by the way."

"Belle, uh," the word stuck in her throat, "Belle Gold."

"But like I said, if that guy bothers you again let me know."

Belle sighed, "He's not trying to be a bother. That's what's so annoying, he's trying to help, you know? Be a hero! Reform! And who am I to stand in the way of reformation."

"But you don't like him?" Will asked.

"He's tried to kill me numerous times. I just don't fell comfortable with him."

"Well then let me help," he offered.

"I won't condone violence,"

"Nah, not violence. Let me _help_, then when he wants to help you, you can say 'No ugly pirate, Will Scarlett is helping me and we don't need you. Shove off'"

Belle laughed, "When you put it that way, you're hired."

"Lead the way, M'lady!"

"So, what book where you looking for that couldn't possibly wait until morning?" she asked later that day as they sorted through magical items.

"Oh, um, err, it was _Alice in Wonderland_," Will mumbled.

"_Alice in Wonderland_?" she questioned, then hastily added, "That's a wonderful story."

"No, no, it wasn't that. I was," he took a breath, "I was looking for a picture of my wife. She's still in Wonderland."

"Oh Will, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to pry," Belle put a hand on his arm.

"It's fine. I figured you'd get it, you know? Everybody in town is talking about you and 'im, and I thought..." he trailed off.

"Yeah," Belle whispered, "I understand."

"We're two of a kind, aren't we?" Will chuckled, although his laugh lacked happiness.

Belle smiled sadly, "That we are."

"Friends?"

"Friends."


	2. Earth, Wind, and Fire

Will Scarlet had a routine. He got up, ate breakfast, picked up coffee at Granny's, then headed to either the library or the pawnshop. Belle Gold had turned out surprisingly fierce, much more than he originally thought.

"You don't need me to keep that pirate away at all!" he had cried after a week, "If you weren't so nice, you could fight him off yourself."

"Yes, but then you wouldn't be teaching me to pick locks, and you would not get a education in modern technology," she'd replied, then held up a cellular phone, "Remember what this is?"

"Not-magic, voice box!" he grinned.

"_Cell phone_."

Today, he went through the motions- "the usual, Granny," -briefly encountering those queens of darkness on his way to the pawn shop. Per usual, Belle was reading.

"Watchya got there?" he asked as he slid the coffee towards her.

"Oh! Will! I texted you! To take the day off, I mean, I was just doing inventory today and- hey!"

The thief snatch the book from her hands, "Hey this look like my..." he trailed off and looked at her, "Like my map."

"I was reading up about realm traveling. I saw your map and what it was for and thought maybe I could help you get back to Anastasia," she looked a bit sheepish.

Will was genuinely confused, "Why would you do that? I didn't ask for help."

"You don't have to ask, you're my friend and I want you two to be happy."

"Oh. Thank you," Will smiled, "Really."

Belle took a sip of the coffee he'd passed her, "Ick, this one's yours. You forgot your phone, didn't you? That's why you didn't get my text?"

"Yeah, yeah, I forgot my not-magic, voice box. Shall I fetch it oh mistress of the pawn shop?"

She giggled, "Please and thank you. This all part of living in the twenty-first century."

"You're the only one who calls me anyway," he grumbled walking out.

But while Belle had been perfectly happy and cheerful when he'd left, by the time Will had gotten back from getting his phone, Belle was trying to hid her tears in the back room.

"Hey, hey, hey, what happened?"

"It's nothing really, I'm fine I swear," Belle wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, clutching a little bottle, "I thought I was okay. I haven't cried in a week, but Cruella and Ursula-"

She interrupted herself with a little sobbing gasp, "They were here and- and they said they saw Rumple and that he wasn't doing well and I threatened them with this!"

Will took the bottle, "Shoe polish?"

"I said it would turn them into toads."

Will nodded.

"I thought he would be better. Out there, he wouldn't have the dagger or me holding him back," she whispered, sitting down.

"You know what? That Henry bloke gave me this," he pulled a little device out of his pocket, "It's called a me-pod or some silly shit, but he said it used to be his mom's- the blonde one with poor taste in men, not the mean one-"

Belle giggled.

"- and he said it's full of music, so you wanna have a listen?"

"Sure, there are some speakers over here..."

Although neither had used an iPod before ("I thought you were the queen of modern day technology!" Will teased), the two manged to connect it to the speakers and start playing music.

The stylings of Earth, Wind, and Fire filled the shop.

"Well," was all Will could say.

"This is cheerful!"

They ended up listening to it for the rest of the day, while working on the inventory and researching realm traveling. Finally, Will unplugged as he got ready to go. Belle was finishing the front display.

"I think I'd better take off," Will said, walking toward Belle.

She turned, and gave him a little kiss, not quiet on the mouth, but not quiet on the cheek.

"Thank you," she said, "For helping me cheer up."

"Think nothing of it," he said, giving her an awkward pat on the head, not knowing how to deal with the physical affection, "'Ta Belle, have a good night!"

"You too!" she called, about to pull the door shut behind him. But she hesitated, and almost called Will back, was there someone in the shadows? She squinted. No, must have been her imagination.


	3. Hollow

She felt hollow. She'd felt like this ever since she'd learned that Rumpelstiltskin was back- and that he'd lied to her again- but this was different.

Belle wasn't angry, she wasn't sad, she wasn't happy, she wasn't anything.

Her head hurt with that distant feeling that she was forgetting something. Like a word at the tip of your tongue that you can't quite say.

She picked up her phone, "Will? I need help."

Ten minutes later, Will Scarlet stood in the door way of Belle's library apartment.

"What's the emergency?" he asked, handing her a coffee.

"I feel odd," Belle said.

"You feel odd? Odd how?"

"I don't feel. I can't feel anything," she clenched the coffee cup, "I know I should feel sad or mad or something but... nothing!"

"How long have you not felt like this?" he asked.

"Since I woke up today."

"And did something strange happen last night?" he probed.

"I-I don't remember. I was in the shop, then Regina came in, but why would Regina do anything? She's part of the heroes now" she shook her head, "I think everything was normal after? I don't know. Will, I'm scared."

He set his coffee down and took hers from her, "I need to feel your heart, okay? I'm going to put my hand on your chest."

Belle's eyes widened, "You think it's my heart?"

"Just let me see, all right Belle?" he stepped closer and put a hand on her chest.

Frowning, he leaned closer to listen to her heart beat.

"Belle," he said, straightening, "You didn't remove your heart, did you?"

"No! Why would I do that?!" she exclaimed, hands flying to her chest.

"Okay, okay, calm down. Some times, it's just... easier to deal with... losing some one you love by taking out your emotion," Will said, "Then you just don't feel anything."

"But I didn't take my heart out!"

"Belle, I'm really sorry, but some one did."


	4. Human Again

**AN: Set during "Lily"**

"I'll be back in a few hours," Belle said, giving Will a hug, "Thanks for watching the shop for me."

"Not a problem," he replied, "But are you sure you have to baby sit for the Charmings? I know how you feel about them."

"It's fine," Belle sighed, "I like Neal, he's a sweet baby."

"Well, see you later," Will gave a little wave as Belle left, calling "Bye!" over her shoulder.

He stuck his hands in his pockets, with the Charmings busy and Belle away, the shop was sure to be quiet. He spun around-

-stopping when he saw Rumpelstiltskin walk out from the shadows.

"What are you doing here?" Will demanded.

"Well, this is my shop and that was my wife, so I think the better question is, what are _you_ doing here?" the dark one sneered.

"Belle asked me to watch the shop," he puffed up his chest a bit, "I guess this is the part where I say 'Gold's Pawn Shop, how can I help you?'"

Rumpelstiltskin stalked closer to Will, "I need you to steal Belle's heart."

"Too late for that, mate, it's already done."

Without realizing what happened Will found himself press against the wall, Gold's cane at his throat.

"I mean she doesn't have it!" Will gasped, "Some one stole it! It's not in her chest!"

Gold bared his teeth at the thief, easing away slightly, "Regina stole it," he confirmed.

"And you want me to steal it back?" Will asked.

"Exactly."

So they went, Rumpelstiltskin distracting Maleficent ("Trust me, you don't want to mess with her, she can turn into a dragon.") and Will braking into the office ("You can climb this drain pipe by using the foot holds-" "I know how to climb a drain pipe!") and stealing back Belle's heart.

"Careful! Be very careful with it!" Rumpelstiltskin nearly shouted as they walked back to the pawn shop, "Why don't you let me hold it?"

"Are you kidding? Belle's really cross with you," Will replied, "I don't think she'd like that."

Rumpelstiltskin growled at this and Will thought it would be best if he was quiet for the rest of the walk. But back at the shop, Belle's heart safely tucked in a box, the Dark One turned on Will.

"She may be happy to be in love with you, but if you hurt her in any way, there is no force that can stop me from destroying you," he snarled, "Even if it turns my heart black."

"In _love_ with me? Belle? Are you touched in the head, mate?" Will asked, "Belle isn't in love with me. She's in love with you."

"What?"

"And Belle's a nice girl, but I've got a true love of my own back in Wonderland," Will continued.

"What? You- Belle- not love- Wonderland?" Rumpelstiltskin sputtered.

"You know they said the Dark One has a way with words, but I never thought he'd be speechless learning that his wife loved him."

Hours later Will stood with Belle's heart in a box as she entered the store.

"Will? What's going on?" she asked.

He opened the box.

"Is that-?"

"Your heart, yes, Regina stole it."

"But she- I though- I can't believe I was naive enough to believe she was becoming a hero," Belle sighed, "But why would she want my heart?"

"To use you as a pawn against me," Rumpelstiltskin said again stepping from the shadows.

Will got the feeling that he liked the air of sinister mystery. The thief watched as the Dark One explained to his wife that his heart was growing darker, that he wanted to be certain she was safe, and that his love for her was the only thing that kept him human. Even heartless, Will saw her lips tremble with emotion.

"I'm going to return this to you Belle," the Dark One said, gently lifting her heart from the box.

Carefully, he pressed it back into her chest, Belle becoming human again verses the shell of a person she'd felt the past few days. Will watched as they looked at each other, Belle's eyes full of emotions he'd seen in Ana when she looked at him.

"Good bye, Belle," Rumpelstiltskin whispered before leaving the shop.

Belle moved too, like to was drawn with him, turning to follow several steps before watching him leave into the darkness.


End file.
